Latest news with #CEBL
Global News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
Saskatchewan Rattlers aim to break franchise attendance record against Bandits
When the Saskatchewan Rattlers take to the court on Sunday afternoon hosting the Vancouver Bandits, not only will the team be searching for their first home win of the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League, they'll be surrounded by what they hope will be a record-breaking crowd. This after the 1-4 Rattlers fell 105-65 to the Bandits in their CEBL season opener back on May 15. 'Vancouver is coming back and we're ready to get a little bit of revenge onto them,' said Rattlers manager of ticket sales and premium seating Graham Forrester. 'We're looking to set a new attendance record, so that's obviously weighing heavily on everybody's minds here of filling the 'Snake Pit' and making sure everyone is getting the best experience.' The Rattlers will be aiming to smash their previous single-game attendance record of just over 3,200 fans on Sunday with the team projecting at least 3,600 fans through the door by opening tip-off. Story continues below advertisement According to Forrester, the weekend tilt against Vancouver had been identified as a big seller and has only ramped up over the last few weeks, with new ticket and drink promotions. 'We've had some big groups come in prior to the season,' said Forrester. 'So we knew that it already was going to be a really successful game. We started seeing a little bit more momentum, we launched our 'Family Pack' and that started off really, really well. We were like, 'OK, we've got a really good shot to fill the 'Snake Pit.'' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Saskatchewan is coming off its first win of the 2025 season on May 31, as they managed to beat the defending CEBL champions in the Niagara River Lions 89-87 off a Jordan Bowden put-back in target score time. 0:53 Saskatchewan Rattlers blown out 105-65 in CEBL season opener to Vancouver As part of their record-breaking attempt, the Rattlers have also donated 100 tickets to the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority for their games Sunday against Vancouver and on June 13th versus Scarborough to evacuees of the recent Northern Saskatchewan wildfires. Story continues below advertisement It's a gesture they hope will provide a few hours of normalcy for those residents who have had to flee their homes. 'Obviously we're not donating toothbrushes and the basic necessities for life,' said Forrester. 'But if we can give them an experience for two, two and a half hours where they can take their mind off things that are going on back in their home communities, that's what we can do as a pro basketball team. 'I think the community is starting to see that as well and they've actually said to us the importance of donation of activities is really, really important.' The push for a new record attendance benchmark comes after teams like the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Calgary Surge have packed their respective arenas, as well as the CEBL playing its first outdoor game between the Montreal Alliance and Ottawa BlackJacks at IGA Stadium which had to be declared a no-contest due to rain. Forrester added that success around the league is pushing the Rattlers to raise their own standards and bring more attention on the CEBL as a whole. 'I think the whole team is incredibly excited,' said Forrester. 'The whole organization is excited, I think even our league is excited. We've seen some huge crowds across the entire league. Right now, us keeping pace with them is happening and it's important to continue happening. I think everybody is really excited to see that place full.' Story continues below advertisement Sunday's game will be a 4 p.m. tip-off at SaskTel Centre, while the Rattlers will kick off the weekend with a Friday evening tilt in Calgary against the Surge.
Global News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
Winnipeg Sea Bears sign former Toronto Raptors guard
Mired in a four-game losing slump and sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Winnipeg Sea Bears added a former member of the Toronto Raptors to help turn around their fortunes. The Sea Bears signed guard Jalen Harris who was the 59th overall pick by the Raptors in the 2020 NBA Draft. The 26-year-old Harris appeared in 13 games with the Raps as a rookie and made his CEBL debut in 2022 with the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The six foot five guard is a two-time CEBL all-star and set the league record for most points in a single game with 45 last season with the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 11 games in 2024 as he was chosen for the All-CEBL second team. Story continues below advertisement 'We are thrilled to welcome Jalen Harris to the Sea Bears,' said head coach and general manager Mike Taylor in a media release. 'Jalen is a dynamic scorer with proven professional experience, and we believe he will make an immediate impact on our team. 'He brings versatility, shot-making and a competitive edge that fits well with how we want to play. We're excited to integrate him into our group and look forward to the spark he can provide on both ends of the floor.' Harris has also played in the NBA G League as well as in Italy, China, and Puerto Rico. Taylor believes Harris will immediately upgrade their offence which has struggled at times early in the season. 'We have not been as productive as we need to be offensively,' Taylor told the 680 CJOB Sports Show. 'We felt like, hey, we need a little bit more playmaking. We need a guy that can command and have some presence offensively with his ability to score. 'It checked off a lot of the boxes that could help us make some strides.' The Sea Bears are hoping to have Harris in the lineup on Friday when they face the still winless Brampton Honey Badgers to start games in back-to-back days.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Harris looks to give Sea Bears massive offensive boost
One of the top scorers in CEBL history is joining the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The club announced Thursday that Jalen Harris, a two-time All-CEBL guard and former Toronto Raptor, has officially signed with the Sea Bears and is expected to join them on the road and play in Friday night's game against the Brampton Honey Badgers (0-5). It's a massive boost to a Winnipeg side that has lost four straight games by double digits and fallen to 1-4 on the season. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Jalen Harris made his CEBL debut with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in 2022. 'We tried to build a team that would play a little bit better team basketball, and we got a great group of guys… (But) we got off to a slow start,' said Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor at the Sport for Life Centre on Thursday. 'We felt we needed a little bit of offensive production and offensive playmaking in the back court. So, from our standpoint, we're really excited to add Jalen. We think he'll bring a lot to the team.' The six-foot-five Dallas, Tex., product averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 11 games with the Saskatchewan Rattlers last summer. In 2022, he made his CEBL debut with the Scarborough Shooting Stars and led the team to the championship final. Harris, 26, was most recently in China with the Nanjing Monkey Kings where he averaged 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists in 32 games. He was drafted in the second round, 59th overall, by the Raptors in 2020, and appeared in 13 games as a rookie, highlighted by a career-high 31-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks on May 14, 2021. On July 1, 2021, the NBA dealt Harris a one-year suspension after he tested positive for a prohibited substance and he hasn't played in the league since. The Sea Bears have had some accomplished scorers in the past in Teddy Allen and Justin Wright-Foreman, but Taylor believes Harris is a different type of player than those two. Harris set the CEBL's scoring record last year with a 45-point performance against Brampton. 'I think Jalen can play with the ball or without the ball efficiently. I think Jalen is a willing passer, and he's a guy we can use in different situations to play as a point guard, at the point of attack, controlling the tempo, and force defences to play defensive coverage because of his ability to shoot,' said Taylor. 'And I think he's also a guy we can move off the ball, so I think he's got a chance to connect well with every type of teammate we have.' Also joining the Sea Bears this weekend is star Canadian centre Simi Shittu who was finishing up his season in the Greek Basketball League. Shittu isn't expected to play in Brampton on Friday or in Scarborough on Saturday. Tony Gutierrez / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Jalen Harris (front) was drafted in the second round, 59th overall, by the Toronto Raptors in 2020. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Once Harris and Shittu start to gel with their teammates, this Sea Bears team should look a whole lot different than the one that underwhelmed in the first five games. Shooting has been the biggest issue, as they're dead last in in both field goal (36.7) and three-point percentage (25.7). 'The goal stays the same. We've always been aiming to play our best basketball at the championship weekend and so adding those two talents definitely help our odds and we're happy about it,' said veteran Canadian guard Alex Campbell. 'I think them joining us on the road actually helps us build camaraderie. Between the games, travelling, being at the airport, stuff like that, those types of things do go a long way so I think camaraderie and chemistry will happen quickly.' The Sea Bears will return to downtown Winnipeg on June 11 to square off against the Montreal Alliance. Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
26-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Rain cuts short Montreal's 1st outdoor pro basketball game
Bad weather forced an early end to the Montreal Alliance game against the Ottawa BlackJacks on May 25. Despite that, the CEBL team was pleased with the turnout and motivated to try an outdoor game again next year.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain cuts short Montreal's 1st outdoor pro-basketball game
Bad weather forced an early end to the Montreal Alliance game against the Ottawa BlackJacks on May 25. Despite that, the CEBL team was pleased with the turnout and motivated to try an outdoor game again next year.
